 | BARRY SOLLENBERGER Sollenberger in Paradise |
|---|
Kevin Sullivan is proud he's at Michigan. He is proud to run with a big block 'M' on his chest. He is proud he's become one of the best long-distance runners in school history. And he is proud to be a college student in the United States.
The decision to go to college in America was an easy one. Over three years ago, the senior cross-country runner left his Brantford, Ontario, home for Ann Arbor.
"I wanted whatever would be best for me," he said. "That's what I found here at Michigan."
Sullivan loves Michigan.
In fact, he said that nothing bad has happened to him as a Wolverine, with the exception of his injury. Sullivan has been forced to miss the cross-country season due to bursitis in his right ankle.
But he doesn't blame Michigan for the injury. He blames bad luck.
"Injuries come to athletes at every level," he said. "And unfortunately, mine came at a bad time."
There are people, however, who think Sullivan's injury could have been avoided, because he was overworked by the Michigan athletic program. They are mad that the injury kept him from representing Canada in the Olympic Games.
They think Sullivan owed them something.
Canada is not at war with the United States. There are no mine fields along the Canadian-U.S. border, and there is no no-fly zone in North Dakota.
But by the actions of some Canadian officials and coaches, you'd never know that this is a time of relative peace. You see, Sullivan has recently been the focus of a war of words and false accusations, a war instigated by a few jealous Canadian coaches and officials.
Late last winter - after it became clear that Sullivan's injury would keep him out of the Olympics - an article appeared in the Toronto Sun, criticizing the runner and the Michigan men's cross-country program. The Sun said that Sullivan was "treated like a bloody piece of meat" and was "forced to run in meets for points," because his coaches were afraid of losing their jobs. Apparently, a few Canadian officials and coaches were frustrated that Sullivan missed a shot at the Olympics. They had wanted him to bring a medal back to their country.
They felt he owed it to them.
"I took a lot of criticism when I was injured," Sullivan said. "And I had a lot of high-ranking Canadian officials and coaches saying, 'Look at what the American system had done to Kevin. The University of Michigan has just run him into the ground.' And it was totally unfounded. None of the people had even asked me what we did here."
What Sullivan has done at Michigan is develop into one of the best long-distance runners in North America. He is a three-time All-American and Big Ten champion and has run the mile in 3:52, just eight seconds off of the world record. He also has a Commonwealth Games silver medal, has a World Championships fifth place, and has run the second-fastest 1,500 meters in Canadian history.
"He is known in track circles in Europe as a 1,500-meter runner," said Ron Warhurst, Michigan men's cross-country coach. "Around the United States, in college track circles, he's known as the best mile runner in the country."
Sullivan has achieved all his accolades despite a relatively light training schedule. When healthy, he runs 75-85 miles per week during the cross-country season and 50-60 miles per week during the track season. And that's what upset Sullivan so much about the Sun article. The claims that he was run into the ground were ludicrous.
Sullivan was so enraged by the article that he fired off a letter to the editor of Athletics Magazine, a Canadian track and field publication. In the letter, he presented his side of the story.
"I'm taken care of very well by Ron and our trainers and everything," Sullivan said. "It just got to the point where I was really fed up with it and needed to just voice my own opinion and (writing the letter) was the easiest way for me to do it."
Sullivan is not the first Canadian athlete to be criticized for leaving Canada to go to school in the United States. In sports, many Canadians have an inferiority complex when it comes to competing with America.
"The Canadians have been saying for years that the U.S. takes some of their athletes and ruins them and abuses them," Warhurst said. "Well, that's sour grapes from a lot of the Canadian coaches. Kevin got hurt, and the people that don't know any better say he was used and abused."
Kevin Sullivan is a senior at Michigan. He is proud to compete on American soil. He is proud to run for the Wolverines. But most of all - like all long-distance runners - he runs for himself.
He doesn't owe anybody anything.
- Barry Sollenberger can be reached over e-mail at jsol@umich.edu